The Moroccan royal air force will withdraw its F16 fighter jets taking part in the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in Yemen as the Moroccan army is placed on high alert following the recent tensions with the Algerian-backed Polisario separatists in the north-west of the Sahara territory, Ledesk.com said.
Citing sources from the royal air force, the website said that the retreat of Moroccan F16 jets is not a pullout from the coalition but rather a move to strengthen the Moroccan military capabilities.
Morocco made it clear that it will not let such a change of the status of the buffer zone and will have to intervene.
Hence, a possible repatriation of Morocco’s F16 fighter jets is expected amid a context of mobilization.
Morocco’s F16 fighter jets are bolstered with the acquisition of advanced medium range air-to-air AMRAAM missiles enabling operational flexibility in a wide variety of combat scenarios, including air-to-air and ground-to-air engagement.